BrazilPermanent residence

Residence permit in Brazil

A foreign national obtains the right to live and work lawfully in Brazil by putting forward a basis — work, family, study or another ground from the migration law. The procedure is run by the Federal Police: the application is filed online, then the applicant attends in person to submit documents and give biometrics. Once it is approved they are assigned a national migration number and issued with the migrant card — proof of their status throughout the country.

Source: Portal Gov.br — Obter Autorização de Residência e Carteira de Registro Migratório

First issue and renewal of the card

The service is used both by foreign nationals obtaining a residence permit for the first time and by those who already hold a temporary migrant card.

First issue of the permit

Already in Brazil on a lawful basis (a visa, humanitarian reception and the like)
Plans to live or work in the country temporarily or permanently
Meets the requirements of the migration law and one of the grounds provided for — work, family, study, international agreements and others

Renewal or change of basis

Already holds a valid migrant card marked «TEMPORARY» and wishes to extend the period
Wishes to change the basis on which the residence permit was obtained
Is not seeking to update a permanent card and does not need a duplicate — separate services apply to those

When this programme is not suitable

The migrant card has been lost, stolen or damaged, but the applicant's details have not changed

The service for obtaining a second copy (2ª via) of the CRNM on the gov.br portal

You already hold a card marked «PERMANENT» and merely need the validity period of the document itself updated

The service for replacing the national migration registration card on the gov.br portal

The visa or residence permit has already been approved by a consulate abroad and all that is needed is the initial registration on arrival in Brazil

The service for registering as a foreign national in Brazil on the gov.br portal

What it costs

Processing and assessment of the applicationThe Federal Police fee for analysing the residence permit application	168,13 BRL
Issue of the CRNM cardPaid once the application is approved, before the physical card is produced	204,77 BRL
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	372,9 BRL

Paid separately

Legalisation or apostille of foreign documents — Paid separately by the applicant; not included in the Federal Police charge
Sworn translation of documents into Portuguese — Required for most documents issued abroad (except in cases covered by particular international agreements), and paid for separately

Documents to gather

The exact list depends on the basis on which the permit is obtained (work, family, study, international agreements and others); below is the basic set common to most grounds

The electronic application form, completed and signed by the migrant or their legal representative
A valid identity document or a passport (accepted even if it has expired)
A birth or marriage certificate, or a consular document
A criminal record certificate issued in the country of origin (not required for those under 18)
A declaration on personal responsibility that there is no criminal record in Brazil or abroad for the last five years
The receipt for the charge for issue of the CRNM card
A 3x4 cm photograph on a white background — requested only where the biometric data collection system is unavailable
For documents issued abroad — legalisation or apostille and a sworn translation into Portuguese

How the process runs

The overall time for examining the application is up to 180 calendar days; below are the stages of the procedure that are and are not in person

1
Filing the application on the portal
about 20 minutes
The immigrant completes and submits the electronic application for a residence permit through the official portal.
2
Booking an appointment at a unit
about 20 minutes
Once the application has been filed an appointment (agendamento) must be booked at the Federal Police unit for the place of residence.
3
Attending the Federal Police in person
about 30 minutes
The applicant attends in person, produces the documents and gives biometric data — the key in-person stage of the procedure.
4
Production and collection of the CRNM card
about 30 working days
Once the application is approved the applicant is assigned a national migration number (RNM) and the CRNM card is produced, to be collected on a visit in person to the unit.

Who you can bring with you

One of the grounds for obtaining the permit is family reunification: the law determines who may act as the inviting party and who may be invited to Brazil

Spouse or civil union partner

Invited by a Brazilian national already living in Brazil or by an immigrant holding a residence permit (the inviting party); the union is evidenced by a marriage certificate, a court document or a certificate from the competent authority

Children, including stepsons and stepdaughters

Stepsons and stepdaughters are accepted as invitees up to and including the age of 24, provided they are studying

Parents of Brazilian children, grandmothers and grandfathers, siblings, and people in the inviting party's care

May likewise be invited under family reunification on the same footing as spouses and children

Trips, renewal and the grace period

Renewal of a fixed-term permit and a change in the basis of residence are also handled through this same service. Permanent cards that need their validity period updated are replaced through a separate service.

Renewal of a card marked «TEMPORARY» is handled through this same service — no separate service is needed for it. The card can only be renewed by attending a Federal Police unit in person before it expires: it cannot be renewed from abroad. If a temporary permit is renewed after the period of lawful stay has expired, a fine for lateness may be charged; for a permanent permit, where the status itself has no expiry date, no such penalty is levied. Cards marked «PERMANENT» that need only the validity period of the physical document updated are covered by a separate card replacement service.

Frequently asked questions about Residence permit

What is the difference between the RNM number and the CRNM card?

The RNM is a unique alphanumeric number assigned to a migrant on the basis of their personal data and fingerprints, which has replaced the former RNE designation. The CRNM is the physical migrant card itself, an identity document valid throughout Brazil.

On what grounds may a residence permit be obtained?

The grounds include the MERCOSUR agreements for nationals of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and other countries of the bloc, study, family reunification, medical treatment, humanitarian reception, employment and a number of other options provided for by the migration law.

How long is there to register and obtain the card after the application is approved?

Once approval of the residence permit is published in the official gazette the applicant has thirty days to complete registration and obtain the CRNM card.

What happens if I spend more than two years outside Brazil?

The residence permit may be lost. On returning to the country the migrant has the opportunity to explain the reason for the long absence to the migration authorities.

Who runs this service and where should I apply?

The service is run by Brazil's Federal Police — the application is filed through the official portal, while the in-person part of the procedure (submitting documents and biometrics) takes place at the migration control unit for the applicant's place of residence.

Other ways to move to Brazil

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Brazil.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.